


Playing Hard To Get Is Overrated

by DigitalThespian



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Future Fic, Getting Together, References to Depression, Romance, Sakura Sojiro Adopts Persona 5 Protagonist, Spoilers, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29355111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigitalThespian/pseuds/DigitalThespian
Summary: Shinya stops by Leblanc ten years after the end of the career of the Phantom Thieves; he finds he's in over his head when he meets Akira's sister, and is immediately smitten. She's also coincidentally one of the biggest names in geek culture, which really isn't helping matters.Haru stops by Leblanc ten years after the end of the career of the Phantom Thieves; she, however, knows exactly what she's here to do. If only Akira was evenslightlyless oblivious.
Relationships: Oda Shinya/Sakura Futaba, Okumura Haru/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	Playing Hard To Get Is Overrated

**Author's Note:**

> This has been laying in my drafts for a while (you've probably noticed a running theme lately), and I finally cleaned it up so I could post it. The tags make it sound worse than it is; this lies firmly on the "comfort" side of hurt/comfort. Enjoy!

“Akira?” The man in question turned when he heard his name, then smiled when he saw Shinya Oda, of all people.

Damn, kid got tall!

“Hey there, King!” Akira held out a fist, and Shinya bumped it. “What brings you to my little café?”

“You know Dad would be pissed if he heard you call it ’your café’,” Futaba piped up from a booth.

Akira just laughed. “Yeah, but that’s half the fun!”

She snorted. “Your funeral, Jok—ester.” She didn’t show her slip-up on her face, but Akira knew her body language well enough to notice.

Shinya had turned towards the unexpected voice, then back to him with wide eyes. It seemed Akira wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Best to keep up pretenses for the rest of the patrons, though. “So, Shinya, what can I get you?”

He spoke in a normal tone at first. “You’re the coffee guy, I trust you. You know what I like.” He leaned in conspiratorially, and Akira waited for the inevitable question of ’Does she know? Was she one of you?’

You can imagine his surprise when he was asked an entirely _different_ question in a hushed whisper. “Akira, is that your girlfriend? Or is she single?” Shinya looked back over at her. “She’s _beautiful_ ,” he whispered.

Akira blinked, but managed to suppress a laugh. He didn’t want to make him think he was laughing _at_ him. “Um. No. She’s my sister.”

Shinya paled, and Akira belatedly realized that answer might have been even worse. “Oh shit I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to— _Augh_!”

He jumped with a yelp as Futaba plopped down in the seat next to him. “Are you harassing the customers, Akira?”

He made a melodramatic face of injury, holding a hand up to the sky as though he was reaching for something. “You wound me!” He huffed just as dramatically. “Of course not! I am the epitome of customer service!”

Shinya laughed once, but Futaba cackled madly, pivoting and slipping off the chair to go back to her booth. “Yeah, yeah, mister ‘lady killer’.” Shinya watched her go, a steadily growing blush on his face.

Akira set a coffee cup down in front of him, causing him to jump nervously again. “Here you go.” He leaned casually on the counter, speaking quietly. “So you’ve got your eye on my sister, huh?”

Shinya put his palms flat on the counter, resting his forehead on it. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know!” He whispered.

“Hey, Shinya, bud, it’s fine.” Akira’s phone buzzed, but he ignored it for the time being. “I was just asking; she’s old enough to make her own decisions.” It buzzed again, and he took it out.

gremlin sister: Yo who’s that cutie at the counter?

gremlin sister: He’s got that ‘I wanna be hot shit but I’m really a total sweetheart’ vibe

hobgoblin brother: he was the kid who taught me that ‘Down Shot’ move

gremlin sister: Oh shit, does he know?

hobgoblin brother: yep. all my ‘confidants’ (the ones who had an arcana) found out one way or another

hobgoblin brother: he was the Tower

gremlin sister: So he actually _is_ hot shit then, I’ll be damned

gremlin sister: Arcade boy, huh? In that case, I’m challenging him to a game of Starcraft; we’ll see how he does at the classics

Akira laughed quietly to himself, pocketing his phone. He looked back up to find Shinya looking at him hopefully. “So… does that mean you’ll introduce me?”

Akira smirked. “Hey, Oracle!”

Shinya was shocked. “Did you just say Oracle? _Futaba ‘Oracle’ Sakura_ is your _sister_!? I knew you had a sister named Futaba, but I didn’t realize she was _that_ Futaba! Isn’t your last name Kurusu?”

Akira smiled warmly. “Used to be; I got adopted.”

“Oh? You a fan, kid?” Futaba walked over a few moments after Akira called, and she leaned on the counter next to Shinya with a smirk. “You wanna see how you stack up against a master?”

Shinya stared, red-faced. “Uh, yeah, sure! What game?”

“Starcraft II.”

He swallowed. “S-Sounds good! Not my usual, but I’ll do my best!”

She jerked a thumb towards the attic. “Well, come on! Just ‘cause _this_ nerd,” she pointed at Akira, who stuck his tongue out, “is stuck working doesn’t mean _I_ am.”

She began to walk upstairs. Shinya scrambled up out of his chair to follow, then skidded to a halt and turned to grab his coffee before speeding off up the stairs. Akira laughed to himself. Kid was in way over his head.

The bell rang, and Akira turned to greet the new customer. “Hi, welcome to—oh, Haru!”

“Hello!” She smiled brightly, and Akira felt his heart skip a beat.

_Get it together, Sakura! You shot god in the face, you can talk to a pretty girl! She was even **there**! You can handle how cute Haru is, so just be cool!_

“It’s always _so_ good to see you, Akira.”

_Nevermind, he could **not** handle how cute Haru is—_

_Alright, backup plan time._ He grinned, allowing himself to slip the Joker mask back on. “Why Haru, you’re going to make me blush!” 

“Oh?” Haru walked around the counter, tilting her head curiously, and Akira raised an eyebrow. “Don’t mind me; I’m just getting a closer look! The great Joker, brought low by a few honeyed words?”

His second eyebrow joined the first, and the Joker mask faltered just as quickly as it had showed up. “U-Uh, well—”

“I’m just teasing, Akira.” She patted his shoulder, then plucked an apron off a hook. “Let’s get to work, shall we?”

“Wha—huh? I’m not going to make you work!” Akira was flabbergasted. “Also there’s no one here, so…”

“No one? I thought Futaba would be here today.” Haru tilted her head curiously.

“Oh! She is, she’s upstairs kicking Shinya’s ass at Starcraft II.”

“Shinya?”

“He taught me that ‘Down Shot’ move.”

“Oh, the little boy!”

“He’s not so little now, though. That was a long time ago.” Akira smirked. “He also had a gigantic crush on Futaba the moment he saw her.”

“Oh, that’s so cute!” Haru clapped her hands together and held them to one cheek, swaying from side to side slightly. She stopped swaying abruptly, and for a moment she was Noir again. “But friend of yours or no, I _will_ murder him if he hurts her.”

He had forgotten just how much of an effect Haru’s sadistic streak used to have on him, and it all came back at once. “I—I think she can handle herself, but she would appreciate the sentiment nonetheless.” He flushed as he realized he had been staring too long, and quickly looked away.

“Good! Now,” she walked up to Akira, stopping directly in front of him, “would you be so kind as to tie my apron for me?” She had hung it around her neck like usual, but hadn’t tied it.

She was perfectly capable of doing it herself, so he was a bit confused; but he wasn’t one to deny a beautiful woman.

Especially when that woman was Noir. “Oh, uh, alright.” There was an awkward silence. “Um… You kinda need to turn around…?”

She looked up at him fondly. “Oh, Akira…” She took his hands and pulled them behind her. “You’re a long armed boy, you can reach around just fine.”

He flushed bright red. “O-Oh. Okay.” He fumbled awkwardly with the strings, finally managing to get the apron tied despite doing his best not to brush up against her too much. “There.”

She was looking at him with a sort of exasperated affection, and he was beginning to think he was missing something. “Thank you, Akira. Would you like to go check on your sister?”

He blinked, then nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, Haru.”

She beamed. “My pleasure.”

He made his way upstairs, smiling to himself as he heard the sounds of a match being won—lost?—very one-sidedly. He peeked around the corner to find Shinya with a dismayed look on his face, which was unsurprising; what _was_ surprising was the lack of a triumphant victory pose from Futaba, or any sort of celebratory behavior, really. 

In fact, she looked almost as disappointed as _he_ did.

“Man, you just _demolished_ me… I’ve never seen someone cannon rush that _early_ ,” Shinya muttered, hanging his head. “Well, a deal’s a deal. Sorry I wasn’t more of a challenge.”

What sort of deal had Futaba made him…? His phone buzzed, and he paused to look.

gremlin sister: HELP I FUCKED UP

gremlin sister: I DONT KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING

gremlin sister: I SAID IF HE BEAT ME ID GIVE HIM MY NUMBER

hobgoblin brother: yeah that was pretty dumb, he never stood a chance

gremlin sister: I KNOW WHAT DO I DO

gremlin sister: HURRY HE’S ABOUT TO LEAVE

Akira thought for a moment, dredging up every last bit of his old charm to put a plan together in time.

hobgoblin brother: if you dont mind cheesy tell him you want *your* prize

hobgoblin brother: then either make him give you *his* number or kiss him or something

gremlin sister: I’m trusting you, Akira

He peeked around the corner again when he heard Futaba call out to Shinya, just as he had finished packing his laptop back into his bag. “Hey, hotshot. Where do you think _you’re_ going?”

He started, before looking back at her in a slight panic. “Uh—well you said that—”

“I just told you what you’d get if _you_ won.” She walked over to him leisurely. “What about _my_ prize?”

Shinya was stunned. “I—I mean, of course, whatever you want, but—what would I have that _Futaba Sakura_ would want? I’m no slouch of a gamer, but you, you’re an online _legend_!”

Futaba stopped in front of him, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t sell yourself so short. We owe you a lot, King. That Down Shot trick of yours got us out of some really dicey situations.”

He gaped at her. “Y-You—you know about that? Wait, _us_? You’re…!”

She grinned. “Where do you think the name came from? The one and only Oracle, at your service. Navigator, support, all around genius…” She spread her arms to the sides magnanimously. “And sister of the leader of the Phantom Thieves.”

Shinya was speechless, and Futaba smiled in amusement. “You alright there, King?”

He nodded dumbly.

“Well, don’t be too hard on yourself. This was an unwinnable boss fight anyway.” She pulled out her phone, handing it to him. “Put your contact info in for me.”

Shinya took her phone gingerly, typing in his information with shaking hands. “There. Was, uh. Was that what you wanted?”

She thought for a moment, then nodded sharply to herself. “Yep! But, I do have another challenge for you.”

Just like that, a fire was lit in his eyes. “I’m ready!” Akira had to hold back a laugh; he was so earnest.

She sauntered back over to the couch, plopping herself down with a lazy grace. “How about you get over here and kiss me? Who knows,” she gave him a sly wink, “impress me and I might even let you take me out on a date.”

Akira was floored. _Where did she learn to be that smooth?!_

Oh, right. She learned it from him. Duh.

Shinya blinked, then reached over and pinched his own arm. “Ow! Oh, holy shit. This is real?”

Futaba threw her head back and laughed. “God, I see why you and Joker got along, you’re both such _massive_ dorks.”

Shinya ducked his head in embarrassment. “I guess, yeah…”

“Ugh, King, just kiss me already! I am _over_ this whole ‘playing hard to get’ schtick girls are supposed to do,” she groaned, beckoning him closer. “I’m into you, so quit worrying about whether you’re likable or manly or cool or whatever and start worrying about keeping me waiting!”

 _There_ was the Futaba that Akira knew so well.

Shinya walked over to the couch timidly; Futaba rolled her eyes and grabbed his shirt, dragging him down with a yelp. “Dude, you act like you’ve never kissed a woman before. Just go for it.”

There was a long silence.

“Wait, seriously? You’ve never kissed a girl before?” Futaba’s mouth hung open.

Shinya seemed to shrink even further in on himself; insofar as that could be done while sprawled half on top of someone else.

She sat the two of them up, then gently took his hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. That was probably a lot of pressure, huh?”

He blushed and nodded. “Yeah, kinda.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you the ropes. If you want, that is.”

He nodded vigorously, and Futaba giggled.

“Alright.” She leaned in and kissed him softly for a few moments before pulling away. “You alright so far?” He nodded, slightly dazed. “You want me to keep going?” He nodded again, only to squeak as Futaba pulled him back in for another kiss. He finally responded, cautiously putting his arms around her. She smiled, pulling away just enough to slip in a few words of encouragement. “I’m into it, you’re on the right track.”

Akira decided it would be wise to make his escape while he could. He crept back down the stairs, only to find the sign flipped to ‘closed’ and the lights off. _That’s odd, it’s still a few hours to closing_. “…Haru?”

“Yes, Akira?”

He stood for a moment while his eyes adjusted.

He was astonished to find that Haru had served two plates of curry, complete with a cup of coffee each…

…And two candles, one on either side of the two plates. “I—wha—”

“Eloquent as always, Akira.” She smiled. “Come sit, have dinner with me.”

He pinched his own arm the same as Shinya had, only to wince in pain.

Haru giggled. “I can assure you, this is very real.”

Akira shook himself out of his surprise and quickly made his way over to sit down. “Haru, this is—thank you, this looks _lovely_. But… why?”

“We can talk after dinner, I think. For now let’s just have a _lovely_ evening.” Haru turned to her food, and Akira wasn’t sure, but it looked like she was blushing?

It was probably just the lighting. He turned to his own food, digging in with gusto. No matter what, Sojiro’s curry was the best. “Man, I always think I’m gonna get tired of curry, but it hasn’t happened yet. Sojiro really knows his stuff.”

When he didn’t hear any sort of response, Akira swallowed and looked over curiously.

Haru was staring at him, an incandescent smile on her face. “I’m so pleased you think so—this was actually _my_ curry!”

Akira stared in disbelief, a blush dusting his cheeks. “…no kidding.” _Could this woman get any more perfect?_ “Well, it’s incredible.”

The two returned to their food, and before long they were sitting quietly, finishing the last of their coffee by candlelight. Akira sighed in contentment.

Haru fidgeted slightly before turning to face Akira completely. “May I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure, fire away.” He leaned back in his chair, looking over at her. The lighting from the candle illuminated her hair gently from behind, lending her an ethereal glow.

She wasn’t quite making eye contact; he wasn’t sure _why_ , but he knew she would say something about it when she was ready. Besides, he was content to admire her while he had a chance.

“I’ve… actually meant to ask this question for a long time. In the Metaverse, all those years ago… It was your job to keep track of everyone, and make sure we were doing alright, but…” Haru trailed off.

“But…?” Akira prompted.

“It felt like you were watching me more than the others.”

_Oh, this might be bad if she has the wrong impression._

… _Or the **right** impression, depending on how she feels about the whole ‘I’m madly in love with you’ thing_. “I… yeah. I was. I couldn’t help it, I guess.”

“You couldn’t help it? What do you mean?” Her expression was unreadable, and Akira was reminded that she ran with the biggest, meanest businesspeople in Japan—maybe even the world.

He was glad he opted for the truth; he would have been _screwed_ if he had tried to lie. She was either going to be upset or not, but at least he’ll have been honest. “You fascinate me, Haru.” He heard her pull in a quiet breath. “You left an initial impression that was so different from the genuine article, but never once did you deceive us. You were kind, and sweet, and not ten seconds later, in the blink of an eye, a Shadow would be missing a finger during negotiations. You mixed grace and cruelty in a way I didn’t know was _possible_. It was honestly terrifying; but in the way _nature_ is terrifying. Nature doesn’t threaten things; respect it, and it will respect you. And you quickly proved to be the same way. I learned I could trust you with my life, and that you trusted me with yours.”

“Akira, I… I’m _so_ glad to hear you say that. I hoped that would be your answer, but I was worried—and it’s silly, I know, to think you’d do this—I was worried you had been making sure I wasn’t going to mess up, or that I needed protecting.” Haru clutched her hands to her heart, clearly nervous about… something, which was odd, considering that Akira had just _gushed_ about her for far longer than was likely appropriate.

“If anything they needed protecting from _Noir_ ,” Akira interjected with a smirk, and Haru giggled.

“Bold of you to assume you could stop me,” she shot back with a smirk of her own, and Akira felt himself blush.

He held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, whoa, I never said it was _possible_ , just that if anyone needed protecting it was them; I knew better than to get in-between you and your axe’s next victim.”

“A gentleman knows when to be chivalrous and step in on his lady’s behalf; a _true_ gentleman also knows when to get the hell out of his lady’s way.”

“I’m glad that Arsene is still alive and well in there _somewhere_ ,” Akira laughed. “Even if it’s just the gentleman part nowadays.”

“…I wouldn’t be so sure about that…” Haru was looking away again, and her face was definitely red.

Now _Akira_ was getting nervous; what could possibly be so nerve-wracking to a woman like _Haru_? She’s faced both mortal peril from a _god_ , _and_ six hour business meetings where her only ally is her notebook, in a room full of people who want _nothing_ more than to remove an ‘upstart woman’ in their way.

Yes, Akira considered these to be commensurate challenges. Shadows and gods of control and what have you were straightforward; you can’t just shoot your problems in the face in a business meeting.

Well, you _can_ , but you’re just trading one problem for a much worse one.

He blinked back to the present; fortunately he had caught his mental diversion early, so it had only been a second or so. “What do you mean? Have I been sleep-thieving and you guys never told me?” He smiled, trying to put her at ease. He doubted he could help all _that_ much, considering the magnitude necessary for a problem to be big enough to shake Haru _Fucking_ Okumura, but he was damn well going to try.

She laughed quietly, relaxing somewhat. “No, you haven’t been sleep-thieving, as adorable as that idea is.” She closed her eyes and took a breath. “The gentleman thief is alive and well…”

She opened her eyes and looked directly at him, and he felt his breath hitch. “…and I know that because he stole my heart.”

“ _Huh?!_ ” Akira was flabbergasted. “You… _ME?!_ ”

“Is that really so hard to believe, Joker? You helped me whenever I needed it, and especially when I needed it most. You cared when no one else did.” Akira began to protest, but he quieted when she touched a finger to his lips. “You spent _hours_ with me on the roof tending the garden. You always listened when I needed to talk about what was on my mind; you told me jokes, and stories, and interesting facts when I needed to keep my mind _off_ all the awful things that were happening. You would bring me food in the wee hours of the night when I went back to college for my business degree, and you helped me get my chain of community-focused coffee shops up and running. You have done nothing but shower me with unconditional love and support. The others did too, as we all do for each other; but you always went the extra mile if you could. So yes, Akira. _You_.”

He was speechless, and his face burned in a way he hadn’t experienced in _years_. She… Haru wanted _him_? He would think this was a dream, but he had already pinched himself earlier.

“Akira?” Haru was beginning to look worried, which snapped him out of his stupor.

He looked at her, and a dopey smile spread across his face. “…You made me dinner to ask me out.”

She blushed. “I wanted this to be special,” she mumbled.

Akira reached out to take her hand, lacing their fingers together. “It _is_ special. It was lovely, and sweet, and _very_ thoughtful, and I feel very appreciated. Thank you, Haru. It means a lot that you know me well enough to know that I would love this.”

“Of course! I would consider myself one of the world’s foremost experts on the enigmatic ‘Joker’!” She smirked. “Speaking of things you’d enjoy; shall we go tease your sister and her new boyfriend?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Akira stood, not letting go of Haru’s hand. He waited for her to get up, standing just close enough that when she got up…

Haru hopped off the chair, accidentally bumping into Akira. “Oof.” She wobbled slightly, and he steadied her. “Oh, sorry about that.” She looked up at him. “I didn’t realize—eep!”  
  


Haru cut off as Akira kissed her gently, though he made no effort to be expedient about it. When he finally did pull away, he smiled softly, with just a hint of a smirk. “Apology accepted.”

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you, Akira?”

“I will neither confirm nor deny that.” He stepped backwards, leading Haru to the stairs.

He crept up slowly, pausing just before the landing. He knocked on the wall loudly. “Hey there lovebirds!”

He heard a giggle from behind him, followed by an expletive and a loud ‘thump’ as something hit the floor. “Oww…”

Shinya, then.

“Is it safe to come up?” Haru called out.

Quiet voices could be heard. “Who was _that_?!”

“Oh, that’s Haru.” Futaba’s tone was relaxed. She called out again, louder this time. “Yeah, just gimme a hot second to put my shirt on.”

“Akira is going to _kill_ me _why would you say that!_ ”

Haru giggled again. “They seem to be having fun.”

Akira smiled and nodded, then called up again. “Relax, bud. There ain’t a person in the world who could make Oracle do something she didn’t want to do.”

“Damn straight. You guys can come up now.”

Akira walked up the stairs and snorted at the sight of a very dismayed Shinya, shirtless on the floor. Futaba smirked; she had put his on instead of hers, and he clearly wasn’t sure how to proceed.

He reached a conclusion, then grabbed her shirt and put it on, staring defiantly back at her.

Futaba was surprised for a moment, then set a hand to her chin. “You know, King? You look pretty damn good in that. Like, kind of a male pop idol vibe.” She looked at Haru and Akira. “What do you guys think?”

Shinya spluttered as Haru gave him a once over. “I would think that his jeans are not nearly skinny enough for that, but otherwise yes; he does do the look justice.”

“Yeah, I’m with Haru. But some real sharp winged eyeliner and a pair of black skinny jeans? Better yet, leather pants.”

Futaba perked up. “Oh yeah, you’re totally right!”

“Is this normal for you guys?” Shinya was extremely confused.

“Most of us got really into fashion—or at least, the outfit design principles behind it—through Ann.”

“Oh yeah, some of our outfits were really dumb,” Futaba groaned. “I’m still mad that the boys all got cool outfits and the girls all got skintight bodysuits for some reason. Except Haru, who I am the most salty about, because her outfit was fucking _sweet_.”

“ _She_ was a Phantom Thief too?!” Shinya’s eyes were the size of dinner plates, and for a brief moment, the ten-year-old in Shinya stood there in the Phantom Thieves’ old hideout, with not just one, or two, but _three_ of his idols. “Which one were you? I helped Akira with his gun tactics—what am I saying, of course you know that,” he rambled.

“You know how one day I showed up and hemmed and hawed for a while, before giving up and just telling you outright that I was at a total loss, and asked if you had any advice for the latest member, who had a _grenade launcher_?” Akira jerked a thumb to Haru. “The one and only Noir; chevalier, heavy weapons expert, and coolest Phantom Thief member.”

“Member?” Haru crossed her arms with an amused half-smile.

“Well, being cool was like, my whole _thing_ as Joker, so obviously Joker is first; gotta be cool if you’re gonna be the leader of a clandestine group of supernatural cat burglars. You’re a _close_ second, though.”

“I suppose I can accept that; you were _very_ dashing.” She turned to back to Shinya. “But I suppose Shinya has a different first pick.”

Futaba blushed slightly. “Oh, come on, Haru, like I could compete with _you_ guys,” she mumbled.

“Don’t sell yourself short, sis! You’re plenty cool.”

Shinya smiled softly. “ _So_ cool.”

“Y-You’re just saying that!”

“No way! I say what I mean!”

Futaba crossed her arms. “Oh yeah? What about Joker? Can you _really_ tell me I’m cooler than him?” Akira smirked. Shinya had a golden opportunity here; the question is, did he still want Akira to like him so badly that he wouldn’t pick Oracle over Joker in front of him?

“Oracle helped save the world, _and_ can kick my ass at video games, _and_ can crack any security, _and_ she’s one of the best software engineers in the business.” He never looked away, and his easy smile never faded. “So yeah; what _about_ Joker?”

Akira was stunned. God _damn_ , Shinya. He was so, so proud.

Haru squealed quietly, clapping her hands to her cheeks. “Futaba, he’s _adorable_ …!” She looked back at Shinya. “But.”

Futaba realized what was about to happen. “I’ll hug you after, King.”

“What?” Shinya looked over at Futaba. “After what—” He looked back at Haru, then flinched, visibly shrinking away from the malevolent aura she exuded; Akira couldn’t blame him.

He recognized the way she carried herself.

It wasn’t Noir; not quite. Everything about Noir—her posture, the smooth, easy grace with which she wielded her axe, all of it—promised a swift and violent end. _This_ was what Akira had dubbed ‘Noiru’; though he would never ever admit that to anyone. It was basically just Noir, but without the threat of imminent violence.

…Noiru only carried the threat of _potential_ violence!

Akira felt a little bad about not stepping in, but he also knew there was nothing he could have done anyway. Like she had said earlier: A true gentleman also knows when to get the hell out of his lady’s way.

She seemed to loom over him as she spoke, and Akira could have sworn the room darkened slightly. “Hero worship or no; should you harm Futaba, I would think your best course of action would be to pray I’m not the Phantom Thief who finds you first. Because we _will_ find you.” Her voice wasn’t _angry_ , per se; but it _was_ dangerous.

Shinya whimpered. “I believe you.”

In the blink of an eye, Haru brightened to her usual sunflower self. “Very good! You may retreat to the comfort of your dashing lady Thief.”

Futaba held out a hand, helping Shinya finally get up off the floor and onto the couch next to her. She slipped her arms around him. “You did great, King. I promise I’m not being patronizing; Haru is fucking _terrifying_.” She looked at Akira and Haru. “No offense, etcetera etcetera.”

Haru giggled. “None taken!”

Akira snorted. “Yeah, the last guy she gave the Hold Up treatment never came back, and the one before that pissed himself.”

Shinya stared at him a moment, then laughed weakly. “I see what’s going on here. You’re just messing with me—”

“I do feel bad about the latter; but the former I firmly believe made himself scarce out of self-preservation, not just fear. I didn’t trust him.”

“Wait… ‘Hold Up treatment’? Are you telling me you needed a warning shot when you had _that_ on your team?!”

Akira laughed. “She hadn’t joined yet, remember? And by the time she had I had largely moved away from needing to do that. Down Shot, though, that was a goddamn blessing when I ran into that Crystal Skull thing.”

Futaba snickered. “It was always so funny watching you do that, they never had any idea what the hell just happened.” She kissed the top of Shinya’s head, and he turned bright red. “That was actually only the ‘Hold Up Lite’ though, Shin; what you just saw wasn’t Noir at her Noir-iest.”

Akira laughed at the horrified expression on Shinya’s face. “Yeah, that’s a reasonable reaction.”

“What was the most hardcore thing Noir ever did to a Shadow, you think?”

“My vote’s on the finger.”

“Oof, I’d kinda blocked that out.”

“Fair. Sorry.”

“I mean, I was gonna put my chips down on the time she took one out with Psiodyne after Heat Riser, an Ultra Charge, _and_ you confusing it.”

“Oh god, yeah… I had to stop using that Persona; whenever I heard its voice I couldn’t not hear that _scream_ …”

“Okay I don’t like this conversation,” Shinya blurted; he was beginning to look queasy.

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry! Here, how about we get you some coffee?” Haru turned to go downstairs.

“I—I’ll pass for now,” Shinya said faintly, still looking somewhat nervous.

“I’m making an executive decision; I’m going out for ice cream with King. Akira, I acknowledge this as your room, but for now get the hell out so I can give Shinya his shirt back.”

“Can do, sis. I’ll probably walk Haru to the station, I think.”

“I am also making an executive decision! Akira, you will be accompanying me to the station, and then to my apartment, where we will be spending the night.”

“Wait, Akira, holy shit; did you _finally_ make a move?” Futaba wore a shit-eating grin, speaking only seconds before Shinya.

“The girl you’ve been talking about all this time is _her_?!”

Haru slowly turned to look at Akira, a fond smile on her face. “You’ve harbored feelings for me for that long, hmm?”

“…since you told me you wanted to open your own cafe, centered around bringing a community together.”

She gasped. “Akira, that was more than _ten years_ ago!”

Futaba tossed Shinya a blanket, mouthing ‘hold this up’. He obliged, then nearly choked as she yanked his shirt off, tossing it at him and taking the blanket. They finished the switch, lowering the blanket to find Akira and Haru looking at them with amused expressions.

“You’re very thoughtful, but the little dressing room curtain routine was just as distracting as asking us to leave again; primarily because it’s adorable, and very you,” Haru giggled. “Enjoy your ice cream! We’ll lock up here, Futaba.”

“Sounds good! Peace out, Haru! Later, Akira!” The two trooped down the stairs.

Haru looked at Akira. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“You were going through so much, and we had just met, and I really wanted to make sure I wasn’t taking advantage of your need for support when you were so vulnerable; you needed someone you could trust to not have ulterior motives. I couldn’t do that to you. But then…”

“…but then I rather emphatically declared I ‘wanted nothing more to do with men, since they had never particularly impressed me’.” Haru shook her head. “I’m such a _fool_ ,” she said bitterly.

“Whoa, where is this coming from? Besides, _Igor’s_ the Fool, remember? _You’re_ the Empress.” He grinned when she giggled.

“Silly boy.” She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him softly. “I meant I was a fool for waiting this long; what if you’d settled down with someone else? I wanted nothing more to do with men that _weren’t you_.”

“Wha—If you’d asked after everything was done, I’d have been yours in a heartbeat, so why…?”

“Believe it or not… for a long time I thought I wasn’t good enough for you.”

“That’s absurd! How could you not be good enough for _anyone_?” Akira was dismayed by the thought that Haru could have ever thought him to be above her, somehow. He was confident in his abilities; but he was confident in hers too.

“I appreciate that, but… I know you didn’t mean it this way, even then I knew that, but… When you told me we were just friends, that day at my father’s house…”

Akira let out a single wry laugh. “So we both accidentally implied to the other we weren’t interested, then spent the next decade pining for each other.”

“That sounds accurate, yes. Akira?”

“Yes, dear?”

Haru blushed slightly, but soldiered on, stepping close to fist her hands in his shirt. “Whether you think you’re ‘worthy’ or not is unimportant; I want you, Akira, so unless you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t feel that same burning desire that I feel… I am _going_ to have what I want. I’m not going to let your trauma regarding your self-worth take even _one more day_ with you away from me.”

Akira’s heart fluttered. “…I think I might need to sit down.” She looked panicked for a moment, but he simply leaned against her, letting himself relax into her arms. “Scratch that; this is better,” he sighed happily. “I love you, Haru.”

Haru’s breath hitched, and Akira’s mind caught up to his mouth. “Oh, jeez, I’m sorry, I’m probably jumping the gun on that, aren’t I?” He laughed nervously. “Don’t—”

“Don’t you _dare_ take that back, Akira Sakura.” His mouth clicked shut. “Jumping the gun? No, on the contrary. I think confessing our love is something we should have done years ago, but we were too scared. Well, no more.” She separated them just enough to plant a big kiss on his lips. “From now on, my love, no more secrets. We are two of the scant handful of people we can talk to about what we’ve been through; we could truly have no secrets with few else. We were drawn together by a desire to see _justice_ , and that bond is unbreakable. I know every bit of good and bad in your soul, Akira, just as you know mine.”

She looked at him very seriously. “So I want to make a promise together. I promise that if I take issue with something you say or do, I will tell you. I won’t be passive-aggressive, and I won’t bottle it up. I promise that I trust you enough to trust that you will listen, that you won’t think I’m ‘being difficult’ and stop loving me. We saved the world from a _god_ together; I know we can be honest about how we feel. In short…”

The world seemed to stand still, waiting with him. “I promise that I will love you no matter what hurdles we face, Akira.”

He did his best to commit this moment to memory; the way her eyes shone up at him, the way her breath felt as it brushed across his chest. “I’m not going to try to follow that speech, so… I promise that I, too, will love you no matter what comes our way.”

The bright smile he received he was sure he would _never_ forget.

“Good. Now then; shall we?”

He took her arm, and together they walked out of LeBlanc into the night, locking the door behind them as they left. “Oh, shit, I forgot my toothbrush, just a sec—”

Haru caught him by the elbow. “It’s fine, dear.” She smiled warmly at him. “You can use mine, I don’t mind.”

Akira hesitated, then gently removed her hand from his arm. “It… would bug me,” he admitted, ducking his head. “Sorry…”

She beamed. “Don’t apologize; we _did_ promise, and I appreciate the early adoption!” She waved him on. “Go, I’ll be right here! It’s getting late; if I sit down I’ll never make it home!”

He darted inside, grabbing his toothbrush and a few other sundry items, cramming them into a bag.

When he came back out, he found Haru leaning against the wall, snoring. He smiled softly to himself, then scooped her up in his arms. She stirred, yawning cutely, and Akira could hardly take it. “Mm…? Oh, did I doze off anyway…? ‘m sorry…”

“It’s okay, I’ll carry you to the station. Go back to sleep, love. You’ll have to guide me once we get to your stop, though.”

“…mmkay…” And just like that, she was asleep again.

He carried her though the dimly lit backstreets of Yongen-Jaya, her arms wrapped securely around his neck. She nuzzled closer in her sleep, murmuring sounds that could have been words, and certainly were in her dreams, but here mostly sounded like incomprehensible nonsense.

It was adorable.

He arrived at the station, and the man at the platform gave him a knowing smile. The attendant waved him through. He had been seeing Akira for _years_ now; he knew he’d be back to pay the fare.

Akira smiled back before boarding the train. He gently set Haru down in a seat, sitting himself next to her. He gently stroked her hair, then leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes a moment. He was out of shape; used to be he could carry his own body weight for what seemed like miles, and Haru weighed less than him.

Actually, he shouldn’t make assumptions. The woman could seriously lift.

* * *

Akira awoke to find himself cradled in Haru’s arms. “Looks like we’re even now, hmm?”

She set him down, then fished her keys out of her pocket. He belatedly realized they were in front of her apartment. “Mmm… sorry, I must be more tired than I realized.”

“It’s alright, you were very cute!”

He laughed quietly. “Thanks, dear.”

“I especially liked when you put your arms around me and said that I ‘was this gentleman thief’s last job’.” She laid a hand over her heart with a twinkle in her eye. “So romantic.” She turned to unlock the door.

Akira nearly choked. “I said _what_?!”

She paused, key still in the lock. “…You said that I was this gentleman thief’s last job.”

Akira breathed a subtle sigh of relief. He had once, in a moment of weakness, daydreamed an entire scene in which he proposed to Haru with _that_ particular phrase. But if he hadn’t mentioned the context, he could save himself the embarrassment.

“Did… did you not… mean that?”

…Suddenly the embarrassment didn’t seem like such a big deal. “I meant it with all my heart.”

Haru’s brows went up, and she blushed. “Oh…!”

“I was just… embarrassed, since I actually forgot I’d come up with that line back in high school, when I still saw myself as Joker first and Akira second.”

“Why would that be embarrassing?”

“I don’t know, my brain is dumb sometimes, I guess?” He blushed. “…Also I… _may_ have come up with the line while daydreaming about marrying you once I got out of solitary,” he admitted.

Haru unlocked the door, pocketing her keys and opening the door. She turned back around, taking Akira’s hand and gently leading him into her apartment. “Why should that be embarrassing? I’m terribly sorry you had to go through that, but I will admit… it _does_ make me happy to know that I was the one to buoy your spirits in your darkest hour.”

“You saved me, Haru.” He looked down, images of that cell flashing through his mind. “I can’t thank you enough,” he choked out; he felt his eyes burning, and he let himself lean against her. He finally let out a quiet sob, and Haru gasped.

In a flash, she had closed and locked the door, sweeping Akira up into a big, fluffy blanket; before he knew it, he was curled up in said blanket on the couch. Haru put the kettle on, then came back to murmur sweetly in his ear as she gently rocked him back and forth. “Akira, my _darling_ ,” she kissed his forehead softly, “you’re safe here, I’ll protect you. Those evil people can’t hurt you anymore.”

He was quiet a moment. “The beating at the interrogation hurt like hell, but the body heals, even if the mind remembers.” She could tell there was more, and so she waited. “…it was the depression that nearly killed me.”

“My poor dear!” She kissed his cheek. “I’m very proud of you for fighting through it.”

“Every time those thoughts would come up, I would remind myself that even if you guys couldn’t get me out, there was still a chance I would see you again. But if I killed myself in there, never seeing you again was a certainty. And so I lived. I survived. I waited, hoped, _prayed_ that soon, please, _god_ soon…” She poured him a cup of tea—his favorite, he noted.

He accepted it gratefully. “Soon, someone would save me from that hell. All of you worked so hard, and it kills me that this is the case, but the moment I got out, and you were all there waiting… All I can remember was the way _you_ looked at me, like you’d been given the greatest gift of all.” He laughed wryly again. “In hindsight, I should have kissed you there and then.”

“If I am even half as important to you as you are to me, I can completely understand not being ready to make that kind of gamble, especially at that particular point in your life. But, for the record, I _had_ been given the greatest gift of all; I got to have you back in my life.” She smiled. “I suppose second greatest, now.”

He raised an eyebrow, smiling. “Oh?”

“It was the greatest gift until today; now that title goes to your love for me. I got to have you back, and now I get to selfishly keep you all to myself; I get to see the little moments that no one else gets to see.” Haru kissed him again. “Life is precious, and I want to spend what time I have with you. We’ve been dancing around each other for more than a decade, but everything turned out alright in the end, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, I’d say it did.” Akira smiled. “I’m looking forward to opening Leblanc with you in the mornings.”

Haru blushed furiously. “O-Oh! I would also enjoy that, very much! I will admit, whenever I thought of the future running my cafe I found myself unable to imagine it without you there somehow… Even if it was just you stopping by here and there to talk shop and make recommendations.” She sighed happily, wrapping her arms around him. “It was much more common for my imagination to conjure the image of you walking down the stairs half-asleep, mid-opening because it was your turn to sleep in.”

Akira blushed. “I like the sound of that. Don’t forget Morgana.”

She beamed. “Don’t worry, I never forget Mona!”

* * *

“Hey, what’s up, nerd?”

Futaba stuck out her tongue at Shinya. “Yeah, like you’ve got any right to call me a nerd, ‘ _King_ ’.” She made air quotes around the word, then laughed, shaking her head. “I still can’t believe you named yourself King.”

He pouted. “Hey, in my defense, I was _ten_. Also my family name is Oda, I don’t think indirectly riffing on Nobunaga is _that_ far-fetched,” he defended.

Futaba stared a moment. “ _How did I never make that connection_ ,” she whispered.

Shinya burst out laughing, and then it was Futaba’s turn to pout. “Hey! Don’t laugh at me! I can still kick your ass seven ways from Sunday!”

“I thought it was ‘six ways to Sunday’?”

“It is, but it’s me we’re talking about, so it’s one further than even that!” She pushed up her glasses with an evil grin. “Makoto may be the Queen, and Haru may be the Empress, but I,” she laid a hand dramatically to her chest, “ _I_ am the _Oracle_! I know your every move before you make it!”

He smiled softly to himself. If you’d told his ten-year-old self that in ten or so more years, not only would he be dating one of his heroes, the Phantom Thieves; but that said Phantom Thief would be Futaba _Fucking_ Sakura, pro gamer and tech giant? He would have laughed you out of town.

…And also probably said some really mean things, ‘cause before Akira helped smooth out some of his rough edges he was kind of a huge asshole. “I know you do, hon.” He grinned. “Most of the time.”

She crossed her arms, quirking an eyebrow. “Yeah? You’re on. Name your challenge.”

This was his chance. He had been practicing, waiting for his opportunity to reclaim his crown. He leaned in closer, an evil grin of his own forming. “ _Gun About_.”

There was a moment of silence. “Alright. You’re on.”

…He may have just made a terrible mistake.

* * *

Chaos reigned in the Akihabara arcade as people flocked to the scene. Word had started to spread as soon as they had shown up together; by the time they were ready to start, people were flooding in to watch.

Shinya could overhear people talking, saying things like “ _This match is gonna be legendary!_ ” or “ _The King is already so good I can barely tell what’s going on, and now he’s facing off against the living legend ‘ **Oracle** ’!?_”

So he might have been eavesdropping. Nevertheless, for once the pressure was getting to him. He couldn’t help but remember a different match here against a different pro gamer…

“Yo! Shinya! I can hear you wallowing from over here, cut it out!”

Silence. Then scattered murmurs. “Given name basis? They must be really close…”

Finally, someone in the crowd worked up the nerve to ask the question hanging in the air. “…Are you two _dating_?”

Shinya froze, turning to look to Futaba.

Who was already answering. “Yeah, so keep your paws off my boy! We’re just here for a fun rematch, y’all need to lighten up, sheesh.” She turned to Shinya, who was beet red, caught in a strange mixture of touched and mortified.

She chuckled nervously, realizing she had just spoken for both of them in a very public way. “Sorry, King, I got kinda carried away there, huh? I should have asked.”

He shook himself out of his daze. “Yeah, probably, but it’s cool. I woulda probably just said something embarrassing and gave it away anyway.” He shrugged, then pointed at her with a devious grin. “But for now… you’re going down!”

* * *

She did not.

Shinya hung his head while Futaba flashed a peace sign, beaming for the people who were taking photos.

She sobered before addressing the crowd. “Hey, and I don’t wanna see any of you talking shit on Instagram or whatever about King, alright? He’s playing along for the photo, this isn’t a grudge match or anything. If I see anyone saying anything stupid I am absolutely going to put you on blast on my next stream.”

There was a vague, collective sound of agreement.

“You _can_ tweet about _this_ , though.” Shinya turned to Futaba, spinning her to face him and dipping her. He grinned at her for a moment. “Payback’s a bitch.”

She scoffed. “What makes you think I’m not gonna make this my profile picture?” She draped her arms around his shoulders, leaning up to kiss him.

There had been a slight hush when Shinya had dipped her; now the crowd went _wild_. He felt her smile against his lips, and he laughed softly. “I think this is gonna be a _lot_ of people’s profile pictures.”

She looked at him in shock. “Oh my god, you’re right. People _ship_ us…! It’s like, an immutable law of the Internet!” She shivered once. “Not gonna lie, it’s a little weird.”

He lifted her back up to her feet, then bowed rather uncharacteristically. “So Miss Sakura, might I treat you to dinner?” He looked up from his bow with a shit-eating grin, and she cackled.

“You’re such a dork, my god. Yes, absolutely, I _hunger_ ,” she groaned as she let her head fall back dramatically.

Shinya smiled. “And you call _me_ a dork.”


End file.
